How to Evaluate Car Rental Companies

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Traveling to a place without a good public transportation system typically means you have a need for a rental car once you get off the plane. You will have several rental companies waiting for your business at the airport and more scattered throughout cities, but selecting the best one for your needs can be overwhelming. Putting in the extra effort to compare prices, options and availability will save you time and money.

Step 1

Check to see which car rental companies have the vehicle type you want. While standard vehicles like compact and full-size cars will typically be available at most car rental companies, you might need search harder for something like a convertible or a hybrid.

Step 2

Look at a website like Expedia.com or Travelocity.com to compare prices on specific cars and dates of rental. You also can go directly to each car rental company website, such as Hertz.com and Avis.com, to get separate prices to compare. Be sure to compare both airport and city locations, since prices can vary greatly between them. According to Fodor's, airport car rental company locations suffer from higher taxes and surcharges, which usually makes rates higher.

Step 3

Look over the polices of the rental car companies to see which is more appropriate for you. Some might offer unlimited mileage or allow you to take the car into any state, while others will limit such things. Other things that can vary between car rental companies include accepted payment methods, minimum age allowed to rent, and charges related to fuel, early returns and extra drivers.

Step 4

Check out the reputation of the car rental companies on consumer review websites, such as RateItAll.com, CarReview.com, My3Cents.com, JDPower.com and the Better Business Bureau.

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About the Author

Jamie Lisse has been writing professionally since 1997. She has published works with a number of online and print publishers. Her areas of expertise include finance and accounting, travel, entertainment, digital media and technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English.

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